The Definitive Stewardship Soundtrack

Thursday

Oct 4, 2012 at 12:01 AMOct 18, 2012 at 5:45 PM

A couple of weeks ago, I suggested some songs that would make a good stewardship playlist in a post titled “Music to Give By.” I then solicited suggestions and have now developed the Definitive Stewardship Soundtrack. I wanted to get away from songs overtly about money and use songs that got to the heart of [...]

A couple of weeks ago, I suggested some songs that would make a good stewardship playlist in a post titled “Music to Give By.” I then solicited suggestions and have now developed the Definitive Stewardship Soundtrack. I wanted to get away from songs overtly about money and use songs that got to the heart of stewardship — cultivating a culture of generosity. Therefore songs like “Money” by Pink Floyd were left on the cutting room floor.

There were however lots of song suggestions that invoked the almighty dollar. Among them were (along with their nominators, if applicable):

“Shake Your Money Maker” — Elmore James (Solange de Santis)

“Money Makes the World Go Round” — Jaques Brel (Rusty Hesse)

“Price Tag” — Jessie J. (Liz Donohue)

“Fields of Gold” — Sting

“For the Love of Money” — The O’Jays (Aleathia Nicholson)

“She Works Hard for the Money” — Donna Summer (Laura Toepfer)

“The Price You Pay” — Bruce Springsteen (Solange de Santis)

What follows is the playlist that, if played during stewardship receptions or coffee hour on Stewardship Sunday, will guarantee an increase of at least 20% in congregational generosity. If the individual results don’t match your expectations, please blame Apple, Inc. for developing the i-Pod or, if your choir sings all these songs, go ahead and fire the organist/choirmaster. And the entire alto section.

The Definitive Stewardship Playlist

“Give it Away Now” — Red Hot Chili Peppers

“Imagine” — John Lennon

“Everybody’s Got a Hungry Heart” — Bruce Springsteen (Deb Seles)

“Another Brick in the Wall” — Pink Floyd

“If I Had a Million Dollars” — Barenaked Ladies

“Untold Stories” — Buju Banton (Gawain de Leeuw)

“Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” — old depression-era song

“Ain’t too Proud to Beg” — The Temptations (Solange de Santis)

“Dream On” — Aerosmith

“Give a Little Bit” — Supertramp (Maxwell Grant)

“Hurts So Good” — John Cougar (before he was Mellencamp!)

“Come Together” — The Beatles

“One Love, One Heart” — Bob Marley

“You’ve Got the Love” — Florence + the Machine (Megan Castellan)

“Higher Love” — Steve Winwood (Maxwell Grant)

“Give Until There’s Nothing Left” — Reliant K (Kim Hardy)

“You Really Got Me” — The Kinks

“Everything I Own” — Ken Boothe (Gawain de Leeuw)

PS. By “definitive” I mean the ever-evolving-so-make-more-suggestions-because-sometimes-these-receptions-go-on-a-long-time-and-you-don’t-want-to-run-out-of-music-or-wine-for-that-matter playlist.

In all seriousness, stewardship should make you want to sing. And I’m not talking about a funeral dirge. While many see the annual campaign as something to “get through” or “over with,” a better approach is to adopt an attitude of grateful celebration. Stewardship season (which, spiritually speaking, really should last all year) should be a joyful celebration of all that God has bestowed upon our respective communities of faith. So throw a party, put on this soundtrack, and enjoy the blessings bestowed upon you and your parish. You deserve it. And anyway, God loves a good party.

Oh, and if things don’t work out? You might want to change your tune to the Beatles’ “You Never Give Me Your Money” (thanks to the Rev. Tom Mulvey for this suggestion).